IP Library Granted Patent US 10,203,737
Granted Patent B2
US 10,203,737 · App. 15/294,397 · Granted Feb 12, 2019

Power distribution between multiple powering devices and powered device(s)

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,203,737
App. No.
15/294,397
Granted
Feb 12, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A power distribution system includes a chassis with a plurality of ports that include a first port configured to communicate with powering devices and a second port configured to communicate with powered devices. A power distribution engine in the chassis is coupled to each of the plurality of ports. The power distribution engine determines that power available to the power distribution engine is insufficient to power a first powered device that is coupled to the first port, requests power from a first powering device that is coupled to the second port, and provides power that is received through the second port from the first powering device to the first powered device through the first port. In an embodiment, the first powered device and the second powered device are switch IHSs, the first port is configured as a trunk port, and the second port is configured as an access port.

Claims (78)

1. A Information Handling System (HIS), comprising:

a chassis;

a plurality of ports that are located on the chassis, wherein each of a first port and a second port of the plurality of ports are configured to both send and receive data and provide power, and a third port of the plurality of ports is configured to both send and receive data and receive power; and

a power distribution engine that is included in the chassis and that is coupled to each of the plurality of ports, wherein the power distribution engine is configured to:

determine that power available to the power distribution engine is insufficient to power a powered device that is coupled to the first port;

send, through the third port, data that includes a request for power from a first powering device that is coupled to the third port and that is not providing power through the third port prior to the sending of the request through the third port;

receive, through the third port subsequent to the sending of the request through the third port, power from the first powering device;

provide, through the first port to the powered device, power that is received through the third port from the first powering device; and

send and receive, through the first port, data with the powered device.

2. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the first port is configured as an access port, and wherein each of the second port and the third port are configured as trunk ports.

3. The IHS of claim 1 , further comprising:

a power system that is included in the chassis and that is coupled to the power distribution engine, wherein the power system is configured to couple to a power source that is separate from the powering devices and provide power to the power distribution engine, and wherein the power distribution engine is configured to:

determine that power available from the power system is insufficient to power the powered device that is coupled to the first port.

4. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the power distribution engine is configured to:

receive, through the second port, data that includes a request for power from a second powering device that is coupled to the second port and to which power is not being provided through the second port prior to receiving the request through the second port;

determine that power available to the power distribution engine is sufficient to provide power through the second port to the second powering device; and

provide, through the second port subsequent to the receiving of the request through the second port, power to the second powering device.

5. The IHS of claim 1 , wherein the power distribution engine is configured to:

receive, through the second port, data that includes a request for power from the first powering device that is coupled to the second port and to which power is not being provided through the second port prior to the receiving of the request through the second port;

determine that power available to the power distribution engine is sufficient to provide power through the second port to the first powering device; and

provide, through the second port subsequent to receiving the request through the second port, power to the first powering device.

6. The IHS of claim 5 , further comprising:

a fourth port of the plurality of ports that is configured to both send and receive data and receive power, wherein the power distribution engine is configured to:

determine, in response to receiving the request for power from the first powering device through the second port, that power available to the power distribution engine is insufficient to provide power to the first powering device;

send, through the fourth port to a second powering device that is coupled to the fourth port and that is not providing power through the fourth port prior to the sending of the request through the fourth port, data that is based on the request for power that was received from the first powering device;

receive, through the fourth port subsequent to the sending of the data through the fourth port, power from the second powering device; and

provide, through the second port to the first powering device, power that is received through the fourth port from the second powering device.

7. A power distribution system, comprising:

a powered device;

a first networking switch device;

a second networking switch device that includes a first port that is coupled to the powered device and that is configured to both send and receive data and provide power, a second port that is configured to both send and receive data and provide power, and a third port that is configured to both send and receive data and receive power, wherein the second networking switch device is configured to: determine that power available to the second networking switch device is insufficient to power the powered device through the first port;

send, through the third port, data that includes a request for power from the first networking switch device that is coupled to the third port and that is not providing power through the third port prior to the sending of the request through the third port;

receive, through the third port subsequent to the sending of the request through the third port, power from the first networking switch device;

provide, through the first port to the powered device, power that is received through the third port from the first networking switch device; and

send and receive, through the first port, data with the powered device.

8. The power distribution system of claim 7 , wherein the first port is configured as an access port, and wherein each of the second port and the third port are configured as trunk ports.

9. The power distribution system of claim 7 , further comprising:

a power system that is included in the second networking switch device and that is configured to couple to a power source that is separate from the first networking switch device and the second networking switch device and provide power to the second networking switch device, and wherein the second networking switch device is configured to:

determine that power available from the power system is insufficient to power the powered device through the first port.

10. The power distribution system of claim 7 , further comprising:

a third networking switch device, wherein the second networking switch device is configured to:

receive, through the second port, data that includes a request for power from the third networking switch device that is coupled to the second port and to which power is not being provided through the second port prior to receiving the request through the second port;

determine that power available to the second networking switch device is sufficient to provide power through the second port to the third networking switch device; and

provide, through the second port subsequent to the receiving of the request through the second port, power to the third networking switch device.

11. The power distribution system of claim 7 , wherein the second networking switch device is configured to:

receive, through the second port, data that includes a request for power from the first networking switch device that is coupled to the second port and to which power is not being provided through the second port prior to the receiving of the request through the second port;

determine that power available to the second networking switch device is sufficient to provide power through the second port to the first networking switch device; and

provide, through the second port subsequent to receiving the request through the second port, power to the first networking switch device.

12. The power distribution system of claim 11 , further comprising:

a third networking switch device, wherein the second networking switch device includes a fourth port that is configured to both send and receive data and receive power, wherein the second networking switch device is configured to:

determine, in response to receiving the request for power from the first powering device through the second port, that power available to the power distribution engine is insufficient to provide power to the first networking switch device;

send, through the fourth port to the third networking switch device that is coupled to the fourth port and that is not providing power through the fourth port prior to the sending of the request through the fourth port, data that based on the request for power from the first networking switch device;

receive, through the fourth port subsequent to the sending of the data through the fourth port, power from the third networking switch device; and

provide, through the second port to the first networking switch device, power that is received through the fourth port from the third networking switch device.

13. The IHS of claim 7 , wherein the second port and the third port are each coupled to the first networking switch device and configured as a Link Aggregation Group (LAG).

14. A method for distributing power, comprising:

determining, by a first powering device, that power available to the first powering device is insufficient to power a powered device that is coupled to a first port on the first powering device that is configured to send and receive data and provide power;

sending, by the first powering device through a second port on the first powering device that is configured to send and receive data and receive power, data that includes a request for power from a second powering device that is coupled to the second port and that is not providing power through the second port prior to the sending of the request through the second port;

receiving, by the first powering device through the second port subsequent to the sending of the request through the second port, power from the second powering device;

providing, by the first powering device through the first port to the powered device, power that is received through the second port from the second powering device; and

sending and receiving, by the first powering device through the first port, data with the powered device.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first port is configured as an access port, and wherein the second port is configured as a trunk port.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining that power available to the first powering device is insufficient to power the powered device that is coupled to a first port includes:

determining, by the first powering device, that power available from a power system that is included in the first powering device and that is coupled to a power source that is separate from the first powering device and the second powering device is insufficient to power the powered device that is coupled to the first port.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, by the first powering device through a third port on the first powering device that is configured to send and receive data and provide power, data that includes a request for power from a third powering device that is coupled to the third port and to which power is not being provided through the third port prior to receiving the request through the third port;

determining, by the first powering device, that power available to the first powering device is sufficient to provide power through the third port to the third powering device; and

providing, by the first powering device through the third port subsequent to the receiving of the request through the third port, power to the third powering device.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, by the first powering device through a third port on the first powering device that is configured to send and receive data and provide power, data that includes a request for power from the second powering device that is coupled to the third port and to which power is not being provided through the third port prior to the receiving of the request through the third port;

determining, by the first powering device, that power available to the first powering device is sufficient to provide power through the third port to the second powering device; and

providing, by the first powering device through the third port subsequent to receiving the request through the third port, power to the second powering device.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

determining, by the first powering device in response to receiving the request for power from the second powering device through the third port, that power available to the first powering device is insufficient to provide power to the second powering device;

sending, by the first powering device through a fourth port on the first powering device that is configured to send and receive data and receive power, data to a third powering device that is coupled to the fourth port and that is not providing power through the fourth port prior to the sending of the data through the fourth port, wherein the data is based on the request for power that was received from the second powering device;

receiving, by the first powering device through the fourth port subsequent to the sending of the data through the fourth port, power from the third powering device; and

providing, by the first powering device through the third port to the second powering device, power that is received through the fourth port from the third powering device.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second port and the third port are configured as a Link Aggregation Group (LAG).

Assignments (10)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (050724/0466) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.)
Reel/Frame 060753/0486 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (040679/0386) Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.)
Reel/Frame 059803/0666 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 040633 FRAME 0799 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL INTERNATIONAL, L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058297/0427 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Oct 15, 2019
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050724/0466 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Nov 23, 2016
From: DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC CORPORATION
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040679/0386 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2016
From: DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC CORPORATION
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040633/0799 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2016
From: TEETER, VICTOR B.; BERRY, ANDREW
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 040023/0395 →